On March 3rd, we celebrate the feast of John and Charles Wesley, two Anglican priests credited as the founders of Methodism, but whose lifelong loyalties lay with the Church of England, from which they never formally left. The Anglican Church in North America recognizes them as “Reformers of the Church” (2019 Book of Common Prayer,…
Hymn Guide: And Can It Be
Charles Wesley was an Anglican Priest and itinerant preacher who wrote around 6500 hymns in his life. One of the first and best was “And Can It Be.” Likely written shortly after his evangelical conversion in May 1738, it reflects a personal relationship with Jesus through the experience of spiritual rebirth. Charles published “And Can…
From Methodist to Anglican: Returning to the Church of the Wesleys
In 2022, I left my spiritual home of over 23 years. God was calling me from the United Methodist Church to the Anglican Church, and I am just now beginning to put this spiritual journey into words. I realized that the United Methodist Church denomination that had nurtured me for so long was shifting. However,…
A Gift of God: The Eucharist Revives a Weary Christian
“OK, let’s sing that verse again,” the worship leader said. “And this time sing it with everything you’ve got!” I was sitting in the back row of the church cradling a sleeping baby. I was lonely and exhausted—deeply disconnected from the upbeat music coming from the stage. A voice inside my head whispered back to…
